Chameleon – "Goodfellas: The Country Bar Theme Scheme"
Podcast: Chameleon
Host: Josh Dean
Episode Date: February 19, 2026
Overview
This riveting episode of Chameleon dives deep into a wild true crime story that weaves together failed country-themed restaurant chains, elaborate financial schemes, and the hidden past of a turncoat mobster embedded in American suburbia. Host Josh Dean and investigative journalist Robert Anglin unravel how the collapse of Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill franchises led to the exposure of Frank Capri—real name Frank Joya Jr.—a former Lucchese crime family soldier, federal informant, and master con artist who used witness protection as a cloak for years of high-stakes fraud.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Unlikely Origin of the Investigation
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Initial Reluctance (00:11 – 01:13):
- Robert Anglin admits he “had zero interest in the germ of this story that would go on to consume eight years of his life,” initially shrugging off closures of Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill locations as routine business failures.
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Something Doesn't Add Up (01:29 – 02:15):
- Only after multiple locations nationwide closed, while others were announced or under construction, did Anglin realize there was a much deeper mystery.
The Anatomy of the Scheme
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How the Scam Worked (02:15 – 03:35):
- Developers, led by Boomtown Entertainment and Frank Capri, exploited mall owners’ eagerness to attract popular franchises. Mall owners paid millions up front for bar and grill deals, but in many cases the restaurants were incomplete or quickly shuttered, leaving contractors, staff, and investors stiffed.
Quote:
“Some of them were empty husks... all your contractors... they were being stiffed. Everybody on the working end of these restaurants, by the way, that includes waiters, bartenders, managers—they weren’t being paid either.”
— Robert Anglin (03:35) -
Culture of Secrecy (03:31 – 05:16):
- Mall owners were “embarrassed” to admit they’d been conned; few would go on record, meaning the scam largely evaded attention except through lawsuits.
A Mobster Hiding in Plain Sight
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Meeting the Enforcers (05:35 – 07:41):
- Anglin describes a tense encounter with three men in suits at a restaurant—or as he texts his editor afterward, "I think I just met with three mobsters that turned out to be prescient." (07:02)
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Frank Capri’s Vanishing Act (09:33 – 11:30):
- Capri, it emerges, has almost no traceable background. In custody filings, his ex’s lawyer floated the possibility he’s a mobster in the Witness Protection Program—a suggestion Anglin at first dismissed as “preposterous,” but which he later finds credible.
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Cracking the Identity (12:04 – 14:57):
- A major investigative hurdle: no photos of Capri/Joya exist online. Anglin secures a photo and runs it by mob experts, prosecutors, and former cops—who all confirm Capri is Frank Joya Jr., a Lucchese soldier-turned-government informant.
Quote:
“He had an illustrious history as a con man and a mob enforcer. He helped kill people... he was a made man in the Lucchese crime family.”
— Robert Anglin (15:01)
Exposing the Bust Out
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Making it Public (15:19 – 17:21):
- Anglin’s series takes years to publish due to legal caution. The DOJ even calls and asks the newspaper not to run the story.
Quote:
“What does Woodward and Bernstein call it? The non confirmation confirmation.”
— Robert Anglin on the DOJ’s reaction (16:18) -
Mob Tactics, Witness Protection Shield (17:21 – 21:33):
- The scheme is described as a variation of a traditional mob “bust out.” Despite detailed lawsuits and evidence, authorities seem unwilling or unable to prosecute Capri—perhaps because his status as a protected government witness shields him from scrutiny.
The Shadow Side of Witness Protection
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Systemic Dangers (21:33 – 24:49):
- Anglin describes how witness protection allows extremely dangerous individuals to live and operate under the radar, with no state or local awareness.
Quote:
“Murderers and con artists... were unleashed into these communities with no state, local or federal law enforcement... knowing what was going on. It’s scary as hell.”
— Robert Anglin (21:33)
The Rascal Flats Debacle: Fraud Redux
- A New Brand, Same Old Scam (23:21 – 25:33):
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After exposure, Capri repeats the scheme, this time via the Rascal Flats Bar and Grill, using proxies such as his girlfriend and business partner.
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Secret recordings clinch his identity for a second round of reporting:
“It is Sopranos right off the script. It is Frank threatening, abusing, screaming in vitriol that would make a nun blush.”
— Robert Anglin (26:51)
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Law Finally Catches Up—Sort Of
- Indictment and Plea (27:04 – 30:32):
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In 2020, Capri is indicted for wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. The government is forced to act due to overwhelming evidence, including audio tapes and documented fraud.
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Capri pleads not guilty, attempts to seal the court, and deploys legal chicanery. His girlfriend, Tawny Costa, assaults a reporter; only minor consequences follow.
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Ultimately, Frank Capri accepts a five-year sentence and $19 million in restitution. He never publicly admits his original identity.
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Post-Prison: Podcast Fame and Mafia Lore
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Capri’s Next Hustle (30:45 – 34:14):
- Released in 2025, Capri launches a podcast, "Made Man," reveling in his mob past while denying wrongdoing in the bar schemes—even after his guilty plea.
Quote:
“Frank is spinning tales quite proudly about himself and his pals... He’s telling everything about his past, the Mafia stuff. He’s claiming these were legitimate business operations.”
— Josh Dean (31:53) -
Lasting Impact (32:19 – 33:29):
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Capri/Joya aided numerous convictions as an informant and even instructed the FBI on mob operations.
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As for his future? After prison, he considered becoming a used car dealer—Anglin notes his penchant for “industries that could raise an eyebrow.” (33:34)
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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On the cunning of the scam:
“It’s really brilliant if you’re into financial scams.”
— Robert Anglin (04:31) -
On the DOJ’s plea not to publish:
“The Department of Justice decided to give us a nice polite call and ask us to please not run that story.”
— Robert Anglin (16:15) -
On the risk faced by journalists:
“I was, as they like to say, watching my six constantly... I didn’t want my picture on the wall where [murdered reporter] Don Bowles is.”
— Robert Anglin (29:52) -
On the “mobster 101” audio tapes:
“It is Frank threatening, abusing, screaming in vitriol that would make a nun blush.”
— Robert Anglin (26:51) -
On the flaws of Witness Protection:
“Murderers and con artists... were unleashed into these communities with no state, local or federal law enforcement... knowing what was going on. It’s scary as hell.”
— Robert Anglin (21:33)
Major Segments & Timestamps
- 00:11 | Introduction of Anglin and the Toby Keith Bar & Grill closures
- 01:29 | Realization that closures are nationwide, prompting deep investigation
- 03:29 | Breakdown of the advance money scam targeting developers
- 07:41 | Anglin’s eerie encounter with Capri’s enforcers
- 10:00 | Tracing Capri’s hidden identity and the Witness Protection angle
- 12:38 | Linking Capri to mobster Frank Joya Jr.
- 15:01 | Confirmation of Joya’s mob history
- 16:15 | DOJ requests the story not be published
- 17:21 | Explanation of the “bust out” scheme
- 21:33 | The wider danger of witness-protected criminals
- 23:31 | Rascal Flats Bar & Grill scheme as a “redux”
- 26:51 | Secret audio tapes reveal Capri’s mobster persona
- 27:16 | 2020 indictment after years of inaction
- 29:42 | Tone-deaf official response; Anglin’s personal security concerns
- 30:32 | Capri’s guilty plea and sentencing
- 31:12 | Capri’s “Made Man” podcast and public mafia storytelling
- 32:23 | Lasting impact of Joya's testimony on organized crime trials
- 33:29 | Capri’s release, continued denials, and post-prison career plans
Tone & Language
The episode blends the sly, world-weary humor of investigative reporting with the dramatic flair befitting true crime and mob stories. The conversation is candid and peppered with incredulity at the brazen audacity of the fraud, the seeming impotence of law enforcement, and the enduring American willingness to believe in the next big thing—or the next big restaurant concept.
Conclusion
This episode of Chameleon unpacks not only a spectacular, multi-million-dollar fraud but also highlights the systemic issues within witness protection, the vulnerabilities of retail real estate, and the doggedness of investigative journalism. Robert Anglin’s eight-year pursuit lays bare how a hidden mob past can morph into complex, country-bar cons—and how in the end, the conman himself is now free to podcast about the life he once tried to keep secret.